Joel 3 13

Joel 3:13 kjv

Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.

Joel 3:13 nkjv

Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, go down; For the winepress is full, The vats overflow? For their wickedness is great."

Joel 3:13 niv

Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow? so great is their wickedness!"

Joel 3:13 esv

Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Go in, tread, for the winepress is full. The vats overflow, for their evil is great.

Joel 3:13 nlt

Swing the sickle,
for the harvest is ripe.
Come, tread the grapes,
for the winepress is full.
The storage vats are overflowing
with the wickedness of these people."

Joel 3 13 Cross References

VerseTextReference
Joel 3:13"Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, tread, for the winepress is full; the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great."Joel 3:13 (original text)
Rev 14:15"Then another angel came out of the temple, crying out with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, 'Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, because the harvest of the earth is ripe.'"Revelation 14:15 (Fulfillment)
Isa 63:3"I have trodden them in my anger and trampled them in my wrath; their lifeblood is sprinkled on my garments, and all my apparel I have stained."Isaiah 63:3 (God's wrath)
Mark 4:29"And when the grain is ripe, at once he puts in the sickle, because the harvest has come."Mark 4:29 (Harvest imagery)
Rev 14:19"So the angel swung his sickle across the earth and gathered the fruit of the earth and threw it into the great winepress of the wrath of God."Revelation 14:19 (Winepress imagery)
Rev 19:15"From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty."Revelation 19:15 (Christ's judgment)
Ps 110:6"He will execute judgment among the nations, filling them with corpses; he will shatter the ruling heads over many countries."Psalm 110:6 (Divine judgment)
Jer 51:33"Thus says the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel: The daughter of Babylon is like a threshing floor when it is beaten and threshed, though only a little while and the time for her harvest will come."Jeremiah 51:33 (Judgment on Babylon)
Deut 32:41"when I whet my flashing sword and my hand takes hold on judgment, I will return vengeance on my adversaries and repay those who hate me."Deuteronomy 32:41 (God's vengeance)
Ps 7:6"Rise, O LORD, in your anger; lift yourself up against the fury of my enemies; wake for me the judgment you have ordained."Psalm 7:6 (Prayer for judgment)
Rev 6:17"For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?"Revelation 6:17 (Day of wrath)
Zech 14:3"Then the LORD will go out and fight against those nations as when he fights on a day of battle."Zechariah 14:3 (God fighting nations)
Isa 14:25"I will strike down Asshur in my land and trample him on my mountains; and his yoke shall be removed from them, and his burden from their shoulder."Isaiah 14:25 (Judgment on Assyria)
Ezek 3:13" I could hear the noise of the wings of the living creatures as they touched one another, and the whirling of the wheels beside them, and the noise of a great rumbling."Ezekiel 3:13 (Divine movement)
Ps 18:47"the God who gave me vengeance and subdued peoples under me,"Psalm 18:47 (God subduing nations)
Nah 1:2"The LORD avenges and is furious; the LORD takes vengeance on his adversaries and nurses wrath for his enemies."Nahum 1:2 (God's fury)
Isa 34:6"The sword of the LORD is swollen with blood; it is thickened with fat, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of bulls. For the LORD has a sacrifice in Bozrah, a great slaughter in the land of Edom."Isaiah 34:6 (Sacrifice imagery)
Heb 10:37"‘For yet a little while, and the coming one will come and will not delay.'"Hebrews 10:37 (The coming one)
2 Pet 3:9"The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you..."2 Peter 3:9 (God's patience)
Rev 20:11"Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it..."Revelation 20:11 (Great White Throne)

Joel 3 verses

Joel 3 13 Meaning

This verse powerfully describes the day of the Lord's judgment and vindication, highlighting God's active intervention against His enemies. It emphasizes that His mighty actions will be witnessed by all, establishing His righteousness and power in a dramatic display. The reaping and threshing signify the severe and complete destruction of those who oppose God and His people.

Joel 3 13 Context

Joel chapter 3 depicts a future time of judgment upon the nations who have afflicted God's people, Israel. The prophet's vision extends beyond his immediate historical context to the ultimate Day of the Lord. This particular verse serves as a vivid command and description of that divine retribution. The imagery of reaping and threshing is deeply rooted in agricultural practices, easily understood by the original audience. These acts symbolized not just the gathering of crops, but also the severe processing and judgment that separated the good from the bad, the useful from the discarded. The chapter as a whole functions as a polemic against the surrounding nations that oppressed Israel, revealing God's ultimate sovereignty and His plan to vindicate His people and judge their oppressors.

Joel 3 13 Word Analysis

  • Ulp; ( Hebrew: lu) - "Put." This is a direct imperative, a command from God, likely spoken through a prophetic voice or an angelic messenger. It conveys urgency and absolute authority.

  • hrb; ( Hebrew: cheresh) - "Sickle." The tool used for reaping grain. Symbolically, it represents the instrument of divine judgment.

  • K`a (Hebrew: ki): "for." This conjunction introduces the reason or explanation for the command.

  • NtnK`r; (Hebrew: loked t'amira): "the harvest is ripe." Loked refers to ripe produce, fully ready for gathering. T'amira refers to the crop itself, specifically grain ready for harvest. The ripeness signifies that the nations' iniquity has reached its peak, making them due for judgment.

  • e`w (Hebrew: bo'u): "Come ye." Another imperative, an invitation or command for agents of judgment to enter the process.

  • oKd;u (Hebrew: durku): "tread ye." An imperative to tread or press down. In this context, it refers to the process of wine-making.

  • r`pyv (Hebrew: yekahev): "the winepress is full." Yekahev means "press" or "winepress." The fullness indicates the abundance of the wine to be pressed out, symbolizing the abundant iniquity and wrath to be dispensed.

  • Kb;lU (Hebrew: wegaftzohem): "and the vats overflow." Gaftzohem refers to the vats where the juice is collected after pressing. The overflow signifies the overwhelming extent of the sin and impending judgment.

  • Kd;yk`v (Hebrew: kerieya'etsem): "for their wickedness is great." Kerieya'etsem signifies their malice, sinfulness, or ruinous conduct. The greatness emphasizes the magnitude of their iniquity which necessitates such a thorough judgment.

  • Phrasal/Group Analysis:

    • "Put in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe": This idiom connects divine judgment with the natural cycle of harvesting. When crops are ripe, they must be cut before they spoil. Similarly, when the wickedness of nations reaches its full measure, God's judgment is imminent and necessary.
    • "Come, tread, for the winepress is full; the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great": This powerful metaphor likens the execution of judgment to the production of wine. The crushing action of treading represents the severity of the punishment, and the overflowing vats represent the immense quantity of sin and the overwhelming nature of God's wrath. The entire phrase emphasizes the inevitability, totality, and intense severity of God's judgment against the wicked.

Joel 3 13 Bonus Section

The imagery of "treading the winepress" is found extensively in prophetic literature, particularly in relation to the Day of the Lord and divine wrath. It carries a dual meaning: a demonstration of power and a process of separation and judgment. It underscores God's sovereign control over history and His ultimate vindication of righteousness. The specific mention of "winepresses" overflowing due to "wickedness" directly links human sin to the intensity of God's punitive response. This passage serves as a solemn warning against oppression and a comfort to the afflicted, assuring them that their suffering is not unnoticed and that divine justice will prevail. The New Testament picks up this imagery, particularly in Revelation, to describe the final judgment of God against evil.

Joel 3 13 Commentary

Joel 3:13 is a stark portrayal of God’s justice. It illustrates that God, in His time, will act decisively against those who harm His people and defy Him. The imagery of the ripe harvest and overflowing winepress emphasizes that the accumulated sin and iniquity of the wicked make them ready for a devastating judgment. This isn't random destruction but a precise and severe response to their accumulated wickedness. The repeated imperatives highlight the active and determined nature of this divine action. It assures believers that God’s justice is certain and His intervention will be thorough.